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The most festive cocktail to make and enjoy with family and friends this season. This batch-style martini is a mix of sweet pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, and vodka, shaken together with a homemade spicy honey simple syrup. The syrup has warm notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger โ because itโs the holidays and I love a little extra warmth this time of year. We will definitely be serving this one alongside our holiday meals!

Itโs officially the first cocktail of the holiday season, and I couldnโt be more excited. I mixed this festive martini into this yearโs Thanksgiving menu, and Iโve been wanting to share the final recipe with you, but needed to get it photographed. I love sharing cocktails on Saturdays, but so many of you have reached out asking for all the new holiday recipes as soon as possible. So here it is!
If youโre open to adding a cocktail to your menu, this is an easy, pretty, and very crowd-pleasing option. Itโs not fancy or complicated, which is exactly what we all want on a busy holiday. And the best part? You can make the mix ahead of time so itโs ready to go when guests arrive. Serve this as everyone walks in the door, and it immediately feels cozy, welcoming, and so holiday-perfect. Cheers to kicking off the season with this delicious Holiday Spiced Pomegranate Martini!

These are the Details
Ingredients
- pomegranate juice
- vodka
- Cointreau (orange liqueur)
- ginger beer
For the spicy Chai Honey
- water
- honey
- chai
To Make it Festive
- sugared rosemary
- pomegranate arils
- star anise

Barcart Tools
All thatโs needed is a glass pitcher and a spoon for mixing. Plus a small saucepan or pot to simmer the honey syrup.

The Steps
Step 1: Make the Spiced Honey
Combine water and honey (about 1 cup water and 1/3 of a cup honey) in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add the spices youโre using. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Cover and let steep for 10 minutes, or simply allow it to sit until youโre ready to use it. This syrup can be made up to 1 week ahead and kept in the fridge. If you used loose spices, strain before storing.

Step 2: Mix the Martini
In a pitcher or punch bowl, combine the pomegranate juice, vodka, and orange liqueur (such as Cointreau). Stir in as much of the spiced honey syrup as you like. I usually start with about half and adjust to taste.

Holiday Hosting Tip
Use any leftover spiced honey to make sugared rosemary. Lightly dip fresh rosemary sprigs into the honey, then coat with granulated sugar. Let dry at room temperature for about one hour until set. Itโs beautiful and adds a sparkling, snowy touch to every glass.
How to Serve
When youโre ready to serve, pour in the bubbly. I like to use ginger beer for a cozy, lightly spiced flavor, but sparkling water or prosecco work well too.
Give everything a gentle stir, then pour into glasses and garnish as desired. No matter how you serve it, this martini always feels pretty and festive.
Make It Friendly for Everyone (No Alcohol Version)
To make a non-alcoholic batch, combine:
โข spiced chai honey
โข pomegranate juice
โข orange juice
โข water
โข ginger beer or ginger sparkling water
โข pomegranate arils, rosemary, and star anise for garnish
Stir everything together, chill, and serve. So easy, and everyone can enjoy a glass.
Make the Drink Extra Pretty
Candied rosemary is one of my favorite garnishes this time of year. Itโs delicious, sparkly, and reminds me of fresh snowfall. But I also love adding pomegranate arils for a pretty pop of red.

Photography byย Johnny Miller
Looking for other Christmas drinks? Here are my favorites:ย
Sparkling Mistletoe Cosmo Punch
Lastly, if you make this Spiced Pomegranate Martini, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pomegranate Spice Martini

Ingredients
Chai Honey Spiced Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 bag chai
- cinnamon sticks and star anise, (optional)
Martini
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 cup Cointreau , (orange liqueur)
- 2 bottles ginger beer
- pomegranate arils, star anise, and sugared rosemary, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a small to medium pot, bring the water to a boil with the honey. Remove from the heat, add the chai, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bag. Let cool. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.2. In a large pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and chai syrup. Chill until ready to serve.3. Just before serving, add ice to your punch bowl/pitcher. Pour over the ginger beer. 4. Pour between cocktail glasses. Top with pomegranate arils, star anise, and sugared rosemary.To Make a Mocktail: 1. In a large pitcher, mix 2 cups of pomegranate juice with 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 -1 cup water, and chai syrup. Chill until ready to serve.2. Just before serving, add ice to your punch bowl/pitcher. Pour the ginger beer over top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.

























I love this recipe! This is my second time making it (using the original recipe with 4 teabags and vanilla), and the drink is delicious. However, I didn’t build the drink exactly as written, I made it as a single cocktail with some adjustments. I used a London dry gin instead of vodka, and I changed the proportions a bit: 2 oz gin, 1.5 oz pomegranate juice, .5 oz orange liqueur and .5 oz your amazing syrup, shaken with ice then poured into a glass. Top with 2 oz ginger beer and stir. My daughter and my daughter-in-law also loved it. I will be making this drink at the holidays for years to come. Even though I changed things a bit, it’s all based on your recipe, so thank you!
Hey Michele,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your notes, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have a great holiday week!๐๐
I was really disappointed with this โrecipeโ and so were my guests.
Very sorry to hear this, Brenda. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!